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Ideas for a tire bead breaker tool?

Can anyone recommend a tool for breaking the bead on a motorcyle tire? Got a new set of Avons for my R1150RS and a manual tire changer. I want to try changing with this changer and a No-Mar Demount Bar, but unsure of a good tool to break the tire bead.

I have zero problem changing the older bikes tires and do it all the time, but opt to take my 1150r wheels off and pay the local Suzuki dealer(25k away) to change them out on a several thousand dollar machine for $25 the pair! Beads go back in at home. They do them on their schedule, I pick them up on the next grocery run. My wheels stay nice and no fighting with no-mar plastic thingies. If I had to I would take the "Paul route" vs. a cheapo changer.

I use an 8' 2x4 and a block of wood. The 2x4(on edge) is levered from under the car or some other sturdy pivot point. The pivot point needs to be very sturdy or very heavy.
Breaking the bead takes alot of force, I have lifted a 200+lbs man standing on a work bench and not been able to break the bead.
I keep planning to buy a breaker, but every time I'm ready to change a tire, I just reach for the 2x4 and get it done.

Very ingenious:)

Those are tire spoons!!! I like. Need these on the newer rims, as they are hard to work a tire off indeed. Check Aerostitch too, as they sell a few items of this regard. I bought the Popper wedge a few years ago and its a good tool, but you need a good hammer, too heavy to carry around. CClamps I've had issues with, not big enough bite in my experience, probably me. Never had to do a tire on the road however, just plugs or snakes in the tread worked every time. I mount new tire before every new long trip, regardless of the used tire treads on the bike. I reuse the tires when I get home, as needed for local riding and have a tire machine for this. My longest road trip is 10000 miles and have made it home easy. Randy

I'd like to make the same tool using an aluminum "spoon" about 16" long, but these fit into the main tube on my R100R for traveling. I did make the connecting links a little longer and drilled two sets of holes to accommodate different width rims on later versions.

The most difficult part about making this bead breaker is drilling the holes in the spoons; you have to go really slow and use cutting oil if you don't want to burn up the drill bit.

I have, over the years, changed my tires using only the two "spoons" supplied with the OEM BMW tool kit with no special "breaker" needed (and that was when I used to run Michelin M45s).

But I'll be damned if I could do if this past spring ... granted, it has be a number years (read, 15+) since I had done it, but I don't remember having the hassle with it that I did when I tried it a month ago.

On the road ... I've heard of using the weight of the bike and the center stand to break the bead. Sounds risky, at best.

Short of making the "spoon" handles shorter, and including a tubular "extension" (to make the whole package smaller) I think you have a marketable product there Tom.

"It is what you discover, after you know it all, that counts." _ John WoodenLew Morris
1973 R75/5 - original owner
1963 Dnepr

Tube vs tubeless rims!

The two are worlds apart in difficulty as I see it too. I've done dozens of my tube rims with the bmw short irons and NO WAY will they work on my tubeless tire rims. The beads are way different to break loose too, tube vs tubeless. Boy, those tubeless beads nearly need an act of God to get loose, imo and even my tire machine struggles with that. Randy

The two are worlds apart in difficulty as I see it too. I've done dozens of my tube rims with the bmw short irons and NO WAY will they work on my tubeless tire rims. The beads are way different to break loose too, tube vs tubeless. Boy, those tubeless beads nearly need an act of God to get loose, imo and even my tire machine struggles with that. Randy

Randy, do you lube the tire *before* you try to break the bead? I've found it makes the job easier.